Do Homicide Perpetrators Have Higher Rates of Delayed-Suicide Than the Other Offenders? Data from a Sample of the Inmate Population in Italy

Abstract

Homicide-suicide can be defined as homicide followed by the suicide of the perpetrator shortly afterward. In the so-called “homicide-delayed suicide”, homicide and suicide occur but within a wide and not strictly defined timeframe. This study analyzes data concerning the suicide of 667 inmates in Italy between 2002 and 2015, considering homicide perpetrators compared to all offenders. The analyses revealed that inmates who had committed homicide were more likely to commit suicide (71% versus 45%; χ2 = 10.952, p = 0.001) and the odds of suicide increase concerning 1.58 times among homicide perpetrators. The time-to-suicide interval after homicide ranges between 0 to 9.125 days (mean = 1.687,9; SD = 2.303,1). Moreover, the intimate-homicide offenders who committed suicide had a significantly shorter survival time after the offense than did the other non-intimate offenders who died by suicide (t test, t = −3.56, df = 90, p = 0.001). The link between homicide and higher suicide risk in homicide perpetrators should be highlighted because of all the homicide offenders passing through the criminal justice system. Superior knowledge about the path of homicide-delayed suicide will be of particular use to professionals in evaluating and treating homicide inmates.

A classification of combined homicide‐suicide: An update—Part I: Introduction and psychopathology

“…In this study, the time‐to‐suicide after homicide interval was from 0 to 9.125 days with a mean of 1.687 days (SD‐2.303). Coming closer to being classified as a homicide‐suicide, the suicides committed by offenders who killed an intimate partner were of a significantly shorter survival time after the offense than suicides committed by other offenders ( t test, t = −3.56, df = 90, p = 0.001) [26]. Also observed in the United States is the association between homicide and suicide in jail, not only shortly after booking but also near the time of sentencing [27].…”